If the Prince never comes
by Muse-on-Paper
Summary: When Mike compares Leo to Sleeping Beauty the comparison hits home. Part 3 of my fairy tale saga for the boys!


What happens if the prince never comes?

It was an odd thought, especially now. But he knew, as Leo always knew, when it was time to call it quits. He'd never had Mikey's endless supply of optimism, Donnie's constant curiosity or Raph's building anger and frustration which, upon the occasion, actually played to his advantage.

No, Leo knew his limits and he'd reached them. His enemy had been slain but at such a high cost. No one would come. Not now, not ever again. Leonardo, the fearless leader, would die alone because there was no one left to bring him home.

"_He reminds me of Sleeping Beauty."_

The memory of his brother's voice was a comfort now but at the time he'd been pained by the words.

"_What do you mean, Mikey?" Don's voice was incredulous. "Sleeping Beauty is a fairy tale; hardly a proper diagnosis for our lives." He paused. "And Leo is definitely not a damsel in distress, much less a princess."_

Leo could picture Don tinkering at his current contraption while Mikey rolled his eyes, moving closer to get his attention.

"_Think about it, Don. It's a parallel - Leo just sorta sleepwalks through his life. He's so set on being the best leader he can be. He's always making sure he won't let anyone down, especially Splinter, that he doesn't really have anything of his own. What kind of life is he really leading?"_

_Donnie paused, taking in Mikey's words. Say what you will about Mikey but there was more going on behind those baby blues than comic book battles and video game scores. Sometimes he was downright profound. Even Leo realized it as he pressed further into the shadows next to Donnie's lab. He was suddenly terrified of being caught eavesdropping and being at a loss on how to respond. _

_Is that what they think of me? He wondered. I thought I was living my life the best way I knew how but maybe…_

They sky above him was stunning. Despite the city lights the stars were actually quite bright, piercing the nightly veil.

"No wonder you loved them so much, Don," he murmured. He'd never bothered to look, _really look_, before. Now, flat on his shell he couldn't help but see. "Not such a bad thing to watch as you die, really," he mused, trying to ignore the seeping chill that began to penetrate his body.

"_I've never even been kissed!" Mike complained. "I hafta kiss a babe before I kick it - it's a requirement."_

"_You could always ask April," Don suggested, examining his cards one last time. "I'll raise."_

"_Mikey, I hate to break it to ya but I don't see the opportunity coming along," Raph added, tossing in some change. "Call."_

_Mike sighed, obviously frustrated. "What about you, Leo? You think I gotta shot?"_

_Leo considered the question and couldn't help but think of Sleeping Beauty again. The damn fairy tale had haunted him since he'd heard Mikey's analogy on his life. "I think…," he said slowly and Mike perked up, expectant. "That a royal flush is hard to beat. Pay up boys."_

It had always been so hard to get Mike to pay up, Leo mused, smiling. A shudder ran through him and he coughed, his small smile disappearing as quickly as it had come. Smiles were rare for him nowadays. They had been ever since…

No. No, he didn't want to think about that. Good memories, happy memories. Nothing too harsh, not now. But once the damn has broken it was futile to try and hold back the water.

"_I hate you!"_

"_This is all your fault. You let him die!"_

"_I really hate you."_

"_How are you gonna make things better now, oh fearless one? Huh? How?"_

He'd been so helpless after Splinter's death and his brother's had fallen apart. Mike had receded into himself, Donnie was hysterical with guilt and Raph…well, Raph did what he did best. He exploded, violently and without pause and Leo had taken the brunt of it to protect Don and Mike. They were barely able to function as it was, they'd be helpless against a raging Raph.

So caught up in their own sorrow they hadn't realized that they never gave Leo a chance to properly grieve his father's death. How could he? He was too busy trying to make it better, trying to make it right. The truth was, it would never be all right again and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. At that point in time he remembered thinking how lucky Sleeping Beauty had been. Eternal sleep, safety, bliss - how he had yearned for that back then.

This must be what happens if the prince never shows, he thought again as his eyes grew heavy. The princess just keeps sleeping, the roses keep on growing and nothing ever has to change. Not so bad, really…

His brothers had all wanted something out of life. Romance, achievement, valor but all Leo had ever wanted was his family to stay together forever. Splinter's death had shattered that dream and Leo hadn't been strong enough to hold them together. Despite his efforts they all left one at a time. First, Raph in a blaze of fury; then Mike, slinking away silently; and finally Donnie, who kept torturing himself despite Leo's attempt to free his spirit and mind of guilt. The grief Leo had not been allowed to show or confront was tripled by the loss of his brothers and after that, nothing else mattered.

Sleep, an endless sleep, would be such a nice change…

Just as he was getting used to the idea of death there was a sudden warmth pressed against his skin and someone was lifting him up. Leo's eyes fluttered open to see Donnie's golden brown gaze staring back at him back at him.

"How…?"

"You idiots really think I couldn't track you down if I wanted to?" He huffed and it sounded like disdain but there was a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. "Now come on. You aren't dead yet and I'm going to keep it that way." He hoisted one of Leo's arms around his shoulders, moving forward.

"Donnie…"

The word was a breath, a bit of wind caught in the night air but his younger brother caught it and knew what it meant.

"Father was right, Leo. We're a family and we need each other, no matter what. So we're gonna get you well and then we're going to track down Raph and Mike. And then," he flashed Leo a white smile and it was more beautiful to Leo than all the stars in the sky. "Then, we're going to stand in the sunlight. It's going to be great, just you wait and see!"

He would wait. Donnie was sheer determination and spirit and it was infectious and by far better than any prince's stupid kiss.


End file.
